Eric Tan See Meng And His Passion For Dancing

Eric Tan See Meng, AISTD BB (shown on the winner's rostrum in image) may come across as an affable and easy going guy, but behind the unassuming demeanour and 163 cm stature lies a person with a deep passion for dancing and a strong determination to succeed, first as a dancer and later as an instructor. Eric took up and fell in love with ballroom and Latin American dancing in Kuala Lumpur about 20 years ago. He was soon hooked on dancing and began to compete in dancesport competitions locally and internationally. His love for dancing has taken him to Austria, China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore and Australia to compete and perform or to learn from the masters there.

Eric was a former ten-times Malaysian Ballroom Amateur champion, and his competition partners included Yokiko Hori, Jasmine Wang and Ivy Por. After "retiring" from competitive dancing, Eric established Classic Dancesport Studio in 1999 to coach students and to impart his knowledge and skills. Eric presently is based at the Kuala Lumpur Dancers' Association (KLDA) at Level 2, Indoor Sports Complex, Wisma OCM in Jalan Hang Jebat, 50150 Kuala Lumpur where he teaches, ballroom, Latin American, salsa, merengue and bachata. Other than the KLDA, Eric also teaches at the Royal Selangor Club, Royal Lake Club, Royal Selangor Golf Club and some other places. His classes are known to be fun and lively.

As a council member of the Malaysian Dancesport Berhad (MDSB), Eric is actively involved in helping to promote and raise the standard of dancesport in Malaysia. He is often called upon to adjudicate at dancesport competitions and also help out at charity events. Eric confessed to me that the desire to compete still burns strongly inside of him and he misses the thrill of taking part in dancesport competitions. He is presently looking for a partner to compete in the Ballroom Professional or Pro-Am events. The Pro-Am or what is known as the Professional Amateur event is one in which one of the partners is a professional (usually a teacher) whilst the other is an amateur (usually a student). Eric can be contacted at 012-3213083, email: eric223@streamyx.com.

Best Wishes As Usual,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia